Floor covering



Mar; 3; 1925' FLOOR COVERING Filed oct.' 11, 1922 l.1,528,632 P. D. RICHARDS fr v Patented Mai. 3, 1925,

UNIT-En STATES PATENT 'ol-Fica PERRY D. RICHARDS, OF' LANSDOWNE. ENNSYLVAN'IA, ASSGNOR T0 CONGOLEUMl COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW VO'RR'.

y `FLoon COVERING.'

Application `filed October 11, 1922. Serial No. 593,809.

One object of my invention is to providel a substantial felt base for a floor covering of the oil cloth or linoleum type.

.A further object of the invention is to usual manner. .l i

4When the telt base hereinbefore described v make a. felt base having a large proportion of rags and hair bound by a bituminous binder.

In the accompanying drawings: y Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a small section of my improved felt base: and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the'complete door covering havingl my improved i iz'elt base.

In preparing the improved'base. I use apercentage of rag fibres: a percentage of animal hair. preferably of considerable length, and a percentage of kraft sulphide' pulp.

I have found that the following formula u makes a substantial base: 50% rags (prefcrahly cotton rags): 30% hair (domestic, and preferably long staple) 20% kraft sulphide pulp.

These ingredients are mixed thoroughly 4and felted into sheets in the ordinary manner. 'The sheets of felt are then impregnated with a bituminous compound, preferably an asphalt compound. rIlhis compound is heated to a proper degree.' The telt to be saturated is passed through the hot bituminous liquid so that it is thoroughly imof the binder. The saturation of the' felt binds the cotton fibres and hair and a strong base is formed which will withstand a considerable amount of hard usage and which will am. fpmunder severe-torsional strains.

The felt base is then coated kwith a linseed oil, or a paint composition, on one face toV prepare the face for the ornamental printed surface that is applied 'by 'the ordinary method of Hoor cloth printing. The back is preferably coated with a Suitable paint com# position to improve vits appearance.v

Then my improved-base is used as a backing for linoleum either in sheets or in sections. thc method of applving the linoleum surface to the felt can vbe carried out in the is used as a body'for printed hard surface floor covering, it addsv materially to the I i quality of such floor 'covering over any that has been produced from the fact that.' it has all ot the q ualitiesof felt base matesz rial previously made, such as flexibility: ease of handling:4 laying-fiaton a HoorAwithout" tackingr. comontingror nailing; and, in addition. has the added strength` so that it will not tear easily, and maybe cut to fit pipes,

` posts, or other projections in a room. It 1s non-absorbent` and, when made accordmgfto my claims. will not stain. or ruhotr on the floors` or surrounding carpets. y

l'claim'4 f' g 1. As anew article of manufacture, a `felt base for a door covering:l of the oil cloth o1' linolenm type. consisting' of finely divided rag fibres, animal hair and kraft sulphide pulp formed into a fcltedsheet and iml pregnatedwith `a bituminous binder.

2. As almew' article of manufacture, a felt' base for Hoor covering of the oil cloth or linoleum type, consisting of substantially 50% finely divided cotton rags, 30% animal however, no surplusdefand 20% kraft sulphide pulp formed into felted sheets and impregnated with a bituminous binder.

PERRY D. RICHARDS. 

